of David, which was then in supreme power among the peo-ple, in the person of Zerubbabel, is expressly mentioned, for three reasons: (1.) Because the faithfulness of God in his promises, was concerned in the preservation of that family,. whereof the Messiah was to spring, Christ himself being thereby in the rule of the church typed out in an especial manner. (2.) Because all the promises in a peculiar manner, were first to be fulfilled in the person of Christ, so typed by David and his house. On him the Spirit, under the New Testament, was first to be poured out in all fulness, and from him to be communicated unto others. (3.) It may be to denote the especial gifts and graces that should be communicated unto them, who were to be employed in the rule and conduct of the church, under him, the king and head thereof. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem, is a phrase expressive of the whole church; because that was the seat of all their public ordinances of worship. See Psal. cxxii. 1-9. Wherefore, the whole spiritual church of God, all believers, are the object of this promise, as represented in the family of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

3. The especial qualifications of the promised Spirit are two: For, (1.) he is to be in a Spirit of grace.' ¡n which the Greek constantly render xápis, and we from the Latin gratia, 'grace,' is derived of n, as is also the following word, which signifies to have mercy,' or 'compassion,' to be ' gracious;' as all the words whereby God's gracious dealings with sinners in the Hebrew do include the signification of pity, compassion, free goodness, and bounty. And it is variously used in the Scripture. Sometimes for the grace and favour of God, as it is the fountain of all gracious and merciful effects towards us; Rom. i. 7. iv. 16. v. 2. 14. 20. vi. 1. xi. 5. 1 Cor. i. 3. and in other places innumerable; and sometimes for the principal effect hereof, or the gracious favour of God whereby he accepts us in Christ; Eph. ii. 5. 2 Thess. i. 12. which is the grace the apostle prays for in the behalf of the church, Rom. xvi. 20. 1 Cor. xvi. 23. And sometimes it is applied unto the favour of men, and acceptation with them, called the finding grace' or 'favour' in the sight of any; Gen. xxxix. 4. 21. xli. 24. 1 Sam. ii. 26. Rom. xv. 11. Esther ii. 15. 17. v. 2. Luke ii. 52. Acts iv. 33. And sometimes for the free effectual efficacy of grace in those in

whom it is; Acts xiv. 26. 1 Cor. xv. 10. 2 Cor. xi. 9. And sometimes for our justification and salvation, by the free grace or favour of God in Christ; John i. 17. 1 Pet. i. 13. For the gospel itself, as the instrument of the declaration and communication of the grace of God; 2 Cor. vi. 1. Eph. iii. 2. Col. i. 6. Tit. ii. 11. For the free donation of the grace and gifts of the Spirit; John i. 16. Eph. iv. 7. And many other significations it hath, which belong not unto our purpose.

Three things may be intended in this adjunct; of grace. [1.] A respect of the sovereign cause of his dispensation, which is no other but the mere grace of God. He may be called a 'Spirit of grace,' because his donation is an effect of grace, without the least respect unto any desert in those unto whom he is given. This reason of the appellation is declared, Tit. iii. 4-6. The sole cause and reason in opposition unto our own works or deservings of the pouring out of the Spirit upon us, is the love and kindness of God in Jesus Christ; whence he may be justly called, a 'Spirit of grace.' [2.] Because he is the author of all grace in and unto them on whom he is poured out; so God is called the ‘God of all grace,' because he is the fountain and author of it. And that the Holy Spirit is the immediate efficient cause of all grace in us, hath been elsewhere proved, both in general and in the principal instances of regeneration and sanctification, and it shall be yet farther confirmed in what doth ensue. [3.] is commonly used for that grace or favour which one hath with another: 'Let me find grace in thy sight,' as in the instances before quoted. And so the Spirit also may be called a Spirit of grace,' because those on whom he is poured out, have grace and favour with God; they are gracious with him as being accepted in the beloved;' Eph. ii. 18. Whereas, therefore, all these concur wherever this Spirit is communicated, I know no reason why we may not judge them all here included; though that in the second place be especially intended. The Spirit is promised to work grace and holiness, in all on whom he is bestowed.

(2.) He is, as thus poured out, a Spirit Dunn, of supplications, that is, of prayer for grace and mercy. The word is formed from as the other, to be gracious or merciful; and expressing our act towards God, it is prayer for grace,-sup

plication. And it is never used but to express vocal prayer, either in the assemblies of the people of God, or by private persons. Hearken to the voice of my supplications,' is rendered by the apostle Paul, ikernpía; Heb. v. 7. in which place alone in the Scripture that word is used. Originally it signifies a bough or olive-branch wrapped about with wool or bays, or something of the like nature, which those carried in their hands and lifted up, who were suppliants unto others for the obtaining of peace, or the averting of their displeasure. Hence came the phrase of velamenta præferre, to hold out such covered branches. So Livy de Bel. Punic. 'Ramas oleæ, ac velamenta alia supplicantium portantes, orant ut reciperent sese:'-Holding forth olive-branches, and other covered tokens used by suppliants, they prayed that they might be received' into grace and favour. Which custom Virgil declares in his Æneas addressing himself to Evander :

Optime Grajugenum, cui me Fortuna precari

Et vitta comptos voluit prætendere Ramos-Virg. Æn. viii. 127. And they called them ἱκετηριάς Θαλλοὺς, branches of supplication,' or prayer. And they constantly called those prayers which they made solemnly unto their gods, supplicia and supplicationes; Liv. lib. 10. Eo anno multa prodigia erant, quarum avertendarum causa supplicationes in biduum senatus decrevit.' A form of which kind of prayer we have in Cato, de re rustica, cap. 13. Mars pater te precor quæsoque ut calamitates--.'

Some render Dann by miserationes, or lamentationes, and interpret it of men's bemoaning themselves in their prayers for grace and mercy, which in the issue varies not from the

sense insisted on. But whereas it is derived from which signifies to be merciful or gracious, and expresses an act of ours towards God, it can properly signify nothing but supplications for mercy and grace. Nor is it otherwise used in the Scripture. See Job xl. 21. Prov. xviii. 23. Dan. ix. 3. Jer. xxxi. 60. 2 Chron. vi. 21. Jer. iii. 21. Psal. xxviii. 2. 6. xxxi. 23. cxvi. 1. cxxx. 2. cxl. 7. cxliii. 1. Dan. ix. 18. 25. Psal. xlvi. 6. which are all the places, besides this, where the word is used; in all which it denotes, deprecation of evil and supplication for grace, constantly in the plural number to denote the earnestness of men.

D', therefore, are properly supplications for grace and mercy, for freedom and deliverance from evil, put by a synec

doche for all sorts of prayer whatever. We may, therefore, inquire in what sense the Holy Spirit of God is called a 'spirit of supplication,' or what is the reason of this attribution unto him. And he must be so either formally or efficiently, either because he is so in himself, or unto us. If in the former way, then he is a spirit who himself prayeth, and according to the import of those Hebraisms, aboundeth in that duty. As a 'man of wickedness;' Isa. lv. 7. or a man of blood' is a man wholly given to wickedness and violence; so on the other hand, a spirit of supplication should be a spirit abounding in prayer for mercy, and the diverting of evil, as the word imports. Now the Holy Ghost cannot be thus a spirit of supplication, neither for himself nor us. No imagination of any such thing can be admitted with respect unto himself, without the highest blasphemy. Nor can he in his own person make supplications for us. For besides that any such interposition in heaven, on our behalf, is in the Scripture wholly confined unto the priestly office of Christ and his intercession, all prayer, whether oral or interpretative only, is the act of a nature inferior unto that which is prayed unto. This the Spirit of God hath not, he hath no nature inferior unto that which is divine. We cannot, therefore, suppose him to be formally a spirit of supplication, unless we deny his Deity. He is, therefore, so efficiently with respect unto us, and as such he is promised unto us. Our inquiry, therefore, in general, is how or in what sense he is so. And there are but two ways conceivable whereby this may be affirmed of him. [1] By working gracious inclinations and dispositions in us unto this duty. [2.] By giving a gracious ability for the discharge of it in a due manner. These, therefore, must belong unto, and do comprise his efficiency as a spirit of supplication.

Both of them are included in that of the apostle, The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us;' Rom. viii. 26. Those who can put any other sense on this promise, may do well to express it. Every one consistent with the analogy of faith shall be admitted, so that we do not judge the words to be void of sense, and to have nothing in them. To deny the Spirit of God to be a spirit of supplication in and unto believers, is to reject the testimony of God himself.

By the ways mentioned we affirm that he is so, nor can any other way be assigned.

[1.] He is so, by working gracious inclinations and dispositions in us unto this duty. It is he who prepareth, disposeth, and inclineth the hearts of believers unto the exercise thereof with delight and spiritual complacency. And where this is not, no prayer is acceptable unto God. He delights not in those cries which an unwilling mind is pressed and forced unto by earthly desires, distress, or misery; James iv. 5. Of ourselves, naturally, we are averse from any converse and intercourse with God, as being alienated from living unto him, by the ignorance and vanity of our minds.

And there is a secret alienation still working in us from all duties of immediate communion with him. It is he alone who worketh us unto that frame wherein we pray continually, as it is required of us; our hearts being kept ready and prepared for this duty on all occasions and opportunities, being in the mean time acted and steered under the conduct and influence of those graces which are to be exercised therein. This some call the grace of prayer that is given us by the Holy Ghost, as I suppose improperly, though I will not contend about it. For prayer absolutely, and formally, is not a peculiar grace distinct from all other graces that are exercised in it: but it is the way and manner whereby we are to exercise all other graces of faith, love, delight, fear, reverence, self-abasement, and the like, unto certain especial ends. And I know no grace of prayer distinct or different from the exercise of these graces. It is, therefore, a holy commanded way of the exercise of other graces, but not a peculiar grace itself. Only where any person is singularly disposed and devoted unto this duty, we may, if we please, though improperly, say that he is eminent in the grace of prayer. And I do suppose that this part of his work will not be denied by any, no not that it is intended in the promise. If any are minded to stand at such a distance from other things which are ascribed unto him, or have such an abhorrency of allowing him part or interest in our supplications, as that we may in any sense be said to pray in the Holy Ghost, that they will not admit of so much as the work of his grace, and that wrought in believers by virtue of this promise, they will manage an opposition unto his other actings, at too dear a rate to be gainers by it.

[2.] He is so by giving an ability for prayer, or commu